GUNTER, Texas — A North Texas city was at risk of being out of water by Thursday morning, according to county officials.
As of Thursday afternoon, the city of Gunter's manager told WFAA they are "50/50 right now as to whether or not we will run out today."
The Grayson County Office of Emergency Management said on social media Wednesday night that the city of Gunter will be out of water at the "current rates of consumption." Gunter is located about 19 miles south of Sherman.
In an emergency notification to residents, the city of Gunter said its water storage tanks are unable to refill due to "excessive water consumption."
Officials were asking residents to stop all outdoor watering and to limit indoor usage "to strictly hydration and hygiene needs."
About 2,500 people live in Gunter.
Rick Chaffin, Gunter's city manager, said staff is working around the clock to avoid a water crisis. He said two of the three water wells that the city operates are malfunctioning and in need of repair.
"Obviously, we are in a heat wave. We have excessive water usage and using wells close to 100% of the time. Just excessive use, no breaks," Chaffin said.
Many water features and irrigation systems are shut down as the city continues to ask residents to conserve.
"The goal is to make sure we have drinking water until we get our wells up and running," Chaffin said.
Residents believe the city's growth and more homes being developed are leading to more strain on the water system.
"This morning I got a text that we could run out of water this morning, I couldn't even take a shower. So, I got up early this morning and took a shower just to make sure," resident Karen Campbell said.
The city manager said officials will continue to be transparent through the ordeal and that they don't know how long the repairs will take.
The city of Gunter is also being proactive by securing pallets of water, just in case they’re needed for distribution to residents.
“We feel like we can weather the storm, but I don’t want to give anybody false hope, because it’s still a very good possibility we will run out,” Chaffin said.
Residents can contact city hall for more information.